Method and apparatus for shaping sheet-metal articles



,March 11, 1930. o. J. GRoEHN 1,749,913

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHAPING SHEET METAL ARTICLES Filed nu. 1o. 1927 2' sheets-sheet 1 IIII//l/l/l/ Marchll, 1930. Q, J, 6,405.1, 1,749,913

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHAPING SHEAET METAL ARTICLES y Filed DSG.' l0, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 29-@227777777777 W /-'Z Z5 ZZ Patented Mar. ll, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OTTO JOI-IN GROEHN, OF GROSSE POINTE PARK, MICHIGAN,v ASSIGNOR TO HUDSON MOTOR GAR COMPANY, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF lMICHIGAN METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHAPING SHEET-METAL ARTICLES Application tiled December 10, 1927.

` rapidly and accurately wherein advantage is taken of the weakened condition of the metal along a line of previous bend to assist the subsequent sha-ping operations.

Before explaining the invention in detail it is desired to point outthat the features hereindescribed are merely for the purposes ofillustration and that the invention is not thereby limited except as pointed out by the appended claims.

vThe invention will be more clearly understood` from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a planview of an apparatus em- V bodying the inventionshowing the relation of the parts at the completion of the shaping operation;

Fig. 2 isan elevational view of t-he same;

Fig. 3 isa sectional elevational viewl taken upon the line 3-3 of Fig. l, showing the relation ofthe parts at the beginning of vthe final shaping operation; Y

Fig. 4 is a similar sectional view showing the relation of the parts at the completion of the shaping operation;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevational view of a portion of the apparatus taken upon the line 5-.5 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 6, -7 8 and 9 are detail sectional views showing the successive relation of the dies and the sheet metal being shaped from the beginning to the completion of the final shaping operation. s

An apparatus embodying the invention comprises a base 10 provided at its opposite sides with spaced upwardly extending projections 11 forming ar depression 12 therebetween. A member 14 of suitable wear resisting material is secured within the depression 50 12and issuitably shaped to receive the body Serial No. 239,222.

15 of the sheet metal to be shaped. A support 16 is movably and yieldingly mounted within the depression and is provided with an opening 9 topermit its Vfree movement toward and from the member 14. The support 16 is held normally in raised position by springs 13 extending between the supports 16 and openings 18 in the base.

Upward movement of the support 16 is limited by bolts 35 secured to the support and passing through openings 37 provided with shoulders 38 adapted to engage the heads 39 of the bolts 35. Dies 2O are movably mounted upon opposite sides of the opening 9 in the yieldable support 16 and are provided on the inner edge wit-h a pressure pad 21 suitably shaped to ,engage the flanges 22 ofV thepreviously bent sheet metal and shape the same against the supporting member 14. A wear resisting block 25 is secured as by screws 5 to the outer edge of each die 2() and is adapted to engageV a suitably shaped cam 26 secured as by screws 8 to the inner edge of each of the projections 11.

' A reciprocable ram 28 is provided with depending blocks or plates 29 adapted to engage the top of the dies 2O when the ram is lowered and move the dies together with the supports 16 downwardly against the action of the springs 13. Plates 30 are secured in any suitable manner as by bolts 31 to the outer oppo site surfaces of the support 16 and project upwardly adjacent the dies 20. An opening 32 is provided in the upper portionvof each plate 30 to receive for slidable engagement therein a bolt 33 which is secured to each die 20. A spring 34 surrounding each bolt 33 extends between the outer surface of the plate 30 and a washer 6 adjustably secured in place by nuts 7 von each of the bolts 33.

In the manufacture of the molding herein selected for the purpose of illustration, from a flat blank, said blank is first bent, by any suitable means well known in the art and not requiring description herein, into the form of a channel, as shownfin Fig. 6, Vsaid channel having a body 15 with substantially.parallel flanges 22 extending therefrom. In the subsequent operation of vthe machine herein shown, the body 15' of the previously bent sheet metal is placed upon the member 14 Ywith the substantially parallel flanges 22 be- Y tween the pressure pads 21 of the dies 20. The

ram 28 is then moved downwardly to move theY dies 20 downwardly together withl the supports 16. During the downward movement of the dies-20, the blocks 25'engage the cams-26 thereby causing the dies 20 to be moved toward the member .14 in intersectingk pathsV inclined to the member 14C andv causing the anges 22 of the previously bent sheet metal tobend-along the line ,40 of vprevious bend and to be broughtl together into engagement with the body 15 of the sheet metal. This action will be understood by reference to Figs. 6-9 wherein the pressure pads 21 are shown first coming into Contact with the iianges22 to bend them along the lines 40 of previous bendV and bring their free ends together. Further movement causes the flanges 22 to be pushed together and against the body Y 15 of the article thereby becoming bent along-V a line between the free ends of the flanges and the line of previous bend. It will ben'oted that theaction of the ram 28 and the cam 26 is to urge the die 20l simultaneously in two directions perpendicular to each other there'- by imparting a resultant movement thereto in a direction inclined to the member 14 which supports the sheetmetal.

I claim: 1; In an apparatus for shaping previously bent sheet metal, the combination of a mem-v berl for supporting said'bent metal, a v die each other thereby imparting a resultant movement thereto in a direction inclined to said member. p

3. In 'an apparatus for shaping sheet metal'previously bent with parallel flanges,-

the combination of a member for supporting said folded metal` dies movable in inter-k secting paths inclined to said member, and means for moving said dies to bend the flanges along the lines of previous bend and bring the same together and press said metal against said member. Y y

4. In an apparatus for shaping previously bent sheet metal, the combination of a member for supporting said bent metal, a support yieldingly mounted near saidmemher,

a die member mounted on and movable'with and Vrelative to said support, means for moving said die member and support, and means Vfor moving said die member relative to said support.

5. In an apparatus for shaping previously bent sheet metal, the combination of a base having a depression, a member within the depression and spaced from one side thereof v for supporting said bent metal, a movable c die, a yieldable support within said depression for conveying'the movable die, means for moving said die with said support, and

support as it is moved with said support.

6. In an apparatus for shaping previously` bent sheet metal, the combination of a mem# ber for supporting said bent metaha support a cam'for moving said die relative to said Y yieldingly mounted near said member, `a die member mounted on and movable ,with and relative to said support, means for moving said die member.V and support, and means for moving said die member relative to said sup-V port and means for returningr said die to its initial position.

7. In an apparatus for shaping previously' bent sheet metal, the combination of a base-f having a depression, a member within the depression and spaced from one side thereof for supporting said bent metal, a yieldabley support within said depression', a die member mounted on and movable with and relative to said support, means for moving said die with said support, a cam for movingVv saidl die relative to said' support as itis moved press said die against saidfcam.

- 8. In an apparatus for shaping sheet metal previously bent with parallel flanges, the

with saidsupport, and a spring arranged to Y combination of a base having a depression,-

rfi

a member within said depression and spaced Y from the sides thereof for Ysupporting the body of said'bent metal, a support yieldingly mounted within the depression on each side of said member, a die mounted on the support and movable with and relative'thereto', means for moving said die and support, and means for moving said die relative to said support.

9. In an apparatus for shaping'sheet metal previously bent withV parallel flanges, the l combinationofra base having a depression,

a member within said depression and vspaced from the sides thereof for supporting the body of said bent metal, a support yieldingly mounted within the depression on each side of said member, a die movably mounted on each support, means for movi-ng said die and support, and a cam for moving each die relative to said support.

10. In an apparatus for vshaping Vsheet Y metal previously bent with parallel flanges, the combination of a base having a depression, a member within the depression and spaced from the sides thereof for supporting thebody of the bentpmetal, a support movably mounted within the depression on eachV -sideof said member, springs normally holding said support in raised position, a die movably mounted on the support, a ram adapted to move said die and support against the action of said springs, a cam on the side of said depression adapted to move said die relative to said support as it is moved by said ram, and springs arranged to press said die against said cam.

ll. The method of shaping sheet metal previously bent With parallel flanges which comprises supporting the body of the metal between said flanges, bending said flanges in one direction along the line of the previous bend and in the opposite direction along a line spaced from said previous line of bend to bring the same together and against the body of the metal by pressure applied to said iiange along a path inclined to said body and intersecting said second line of bend.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

OTTO J. GROEHN. 

